Had it not been for Jordan Smith
using his super-high voice to wallop each and every song - and America's
fascination with the singer was who
wasn't even shown while he sang his blind audition - the 17-year-old
songstress would be touring the TV talk show circuit right now.

But even in "defeat," Emily Ann is
poised to become a music star.

During the season, her coach,
Blake Shelton, said, "There's no reason that you can't be the new power female
in mainstream country music," and "I've never had a better collaborator in nine
seasons of doing this show than working with Emily Ann, because she is so smart
and knows who she is as an artist."

Emily Ann's semifinal rendition of
Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" was picture-perfect. She commanded the stage like
someone twice her age and offered one of the season's best performances.

While Emily Ann's country and pop
music counterparts are sometimes labeled "style over substance" (*cough* Auto-Tune
*cough*), her singing chops are legit - creamy with just the right amount of
southern twang.

In the finale, Pharrell called
Emily Ann's voice "classic," while Adam Levine called her "incredible" and "the
real deal."

Blake added, "You possess this
vocal power - this range - you have all of these things - all these chops that
you're the master of. But, the best thing about your performances is you ramp
it up. You start off simple, and, as the song goes along - as the song builds -
that's when you start throwing in the power. And it makes for these incredible
performances that you can't look away from.

"You're so unbelievably ahead of
your time, sis. So great."

Less than 24 hours after returning
home to Knoxville, Tennessee, Emily Ann chatted with BTS about life after "The
Voice," her plans for the future, and a dream performance with Ricky Scaggs.

"The Voice": Emily Ann Roberts on stage

Behind the Screens: What was it like returning home yesterday?

Emily Ann: It was amazing. It was so busy; I've been looking forward
to it so much. I had a big group of people waiting for me at the airport and
there were people waiting for me outside my neighborhood last night with signs
... telling me how proud they were of me. It's just so overwhelming to see all
the support that I've gotten from my community. It's really awesome.

Behind the Screens: Now that you've had a plane ride and a couple of
days to digest this, how do you sum up your experience on "The Voice"?

Emily Ann: I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I've
learned so much, and I've met so many amazing people. And I know that this is
not the end; it's just the beginning. I'm super excited about that. I want to
start writing and I want to start getting together some stuff that is just a
true representation of who I am as an artist.

I'm ready to get to work.

BTS: Obviously, finishing second is pretty remarkable. I'm sure you
wanted to win. Did you think from the beginning that you could win, or when did
you think that you could be a serious competitor?

Emily Ann: I never dreamed - ever - of making it as far as I did. I
never thought that it was possible, and so I just didn't let myself dream that
big - because I didn't want it to hurt more.

Round after round, I just kept
going through, and it was amazing. It was so overwhelming because I never - I
was so worried about turning the chairs. So I never even imagined that I would
make it as far as I did. It's just really, really cool to see what hard work
can do.

BTS: As someone who has watched and written about this show from the
first season, when you guys got into the live rounds and I heard Jordan
perform, like most TV critics, I thought he would be very difficult to beat.
Did you have any conversation with the other singers about who might win?

Emily Ann: I think that everyone this season was so incredible, and
we're all so supportive of each other. But we all know how incredible Jordan
is. Jordan deserved it, I think. I think that, out of anyone who was on this
season, he just is so incredible and so different. And I think everyone is so
happy for him. He truly deserves it.

I think there were other people
who popped up that we thought maybe could win - other than Jordan - but I think
it was very, very obvious who the front-runner was. And he deserved it. Jordan
is so phenomenal.

BTS: Do you take a little bit of a break and sort of get back to normal
and then plot out what your next steps are going to be?

Emily Ann: Yeah.

BTS: What would you like to have happen in the next six months to a
year?

Emily Ann: I want to start writing more. I want to get with other
people and continue to grow in different ways. I've never had vocal lessons or anything
like that until this show, and it helped me so much.

I'm just excited. I want to
continue to grow, and work on who I am as an artist and really figure that out.
And start writing. I want to start getting my
own music out there - is the goal for moving forward.

"The Voice": Emily Ann Roberts

BTS: You had songs that charted on iTunes. When I went to iTunes on
Tuesday to just do a general music search, your name was the very first name
that popped up - out of all the musicians on iTunes.

Emily Ann: Oh, wow.

BTS: How do you wrap your brain around your newfound fame? Clearly, the
reception you got at the airport when you returned home was different than the
one you had when you left Knoxville.

Emily Ann: It's crazy. It's crazy to see my music on iTunes, and
it's crazy to see myself charting. ... You know, I think that I'm doing what I
love. And, for me, I'm still the same person that I was when I left. I think
that's really important to me, to always stay true to who I am.

It's crazy. It's crazy to see how
I left with no one really knowing who I was, and then I came home, and now
people that I don't even know are coming out of the woodwork to tell me that
they support me and that they've been voting for me. ... But I'm so thankful for
it. It's just totally what this show has done for me. Because no one would've
ever known me or I would've never gotten that exposure without this show.

"The Voice": Blake Shelton performs with Emily Ann Roberts.

BTS: Each coach has a certain number of singers on a team. Only one is
going to win. Are there conversations about taking advantage of your fame and
the fans' interest in your music? Unfortunately, we see a lot of singers who
don't take advantage of this platform.

Emily Ann: Blake has just kind of focused on me staying true to who
I am after this. He really doesn't want anyone to change me, or mess with
anything that makes me the artist that I am.

I'm so appreciative of that - that
he really loves me for me, and my songs and my music, just the way I am. That's
so awesome to have someone like that in your corner who just really supports
you. ...

We've become super-close friends
and I know that our relationship will continue on outside of the show.

BTS: Obviously, you would've liked to have won, but the fact that you
have Blake Shelton as an ally and a mentor, that's about as good as winning,
right?

Emily Ann: You know, definitely. He is so incredible in country
music. And having him on my side makes me feel really good.

BTS: On your very first performance - the very first time we saw you -
you said you're a big Ricky Scaggs fan. What was it like to perform with him on
the finale?

Emily Ann: That was so incredible! I've dreamed about that my whole
life. I dreamed about sharing the stage with him. I just never thought that it
would actually happen. So, to get that chance to perform with a legend like
him, it was just so incredible.

Honestly, when we were rehearsing,
the first time he opened his mouth and started singing, my eyes were just
filling with tears. I was trying so hard to just get a hold of myself, because
I didn't want to cry, but I really could have!

It was just such an incredible
experience. He's so talented. It was an honor to be up there singing with him.